She Didn't Have Time
by JasperLuver48
Summary: Fandom4LLS Piece: After Ben leaves her with two little babies and no way to support them, Angela doesn't have time to feel sorry for herself. She has a new life to build and the determination to do it, but will she ever let anyone else in again?


**A/N: I own nothing! Twilight is not mine, though if it were, the canon pairings would be so very different! No copyright infringement intended! **

**I started to write this piece back in October (2010) for one of my pre-readers handsandfingers who had asked for some Edward but paired with Angela instead but I got stumped and it's been shelved for a long time. Then this opportunity to donate to an amazing cause came up and I pulled it out and the story just flowed out of me. It's a sort of birthday present for her and I hope she knows how much I love her and everything she does for me! It's loosely based on the song She Didn't Have Time by Terri Clark. **

**Thanks to SarahAH30 and MssDare for the pre-reads and to CharliDenae for her awesome beta eyes while my darling coachlady1 is so busy with school right now! Any mistake left are my own and do not in any way reflect on anyone else!**

**This was the piece I donated to the Fandom4LLS charity compilation so thanks to anyone who donated to it and I hope you enjoy! **

**Xoxo- JasperLuver48**

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><p>"Look, Ang, I don't know what else you want me to say... I'm just not what you need. There are bigger and better things out there waiting for me and I need to go find them," Ben told his soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend as he stood at the bottom of the porch with his suitcase and guitar in hand.<p>

Angela was heartbroken as he spoke those words to her without an ounce of compassion in his voice, as if he'd only been some stranger to her instead of the man she'd loved since high school. "How can you just leave us, Ben? We're your family. Have you forgotten about the two babies in there who are depending on you?" The tears were threatening to fall as she tried to reason with him.

"I haven't forgotten them, Ang, but I can't stay here anymore. This town is suffocating me and you guys will be better off without me. You'll see in time, but for now, I have to go..." He threw his stuff in the trunk of his car and took off out without so much as a glance in the rear view mirror.

Angela was beyond devastated as she watched Ben turn the corner and leave town, but she knew she had things to do. She was going to survive this because she had two sleeping babies in that house who were now depending solely on her to take care of them and she wasn't going to fail them. She was going to have to find a job and someone to watch the babies while she worked.

She hated to acknowledge it, but her mother was right about him all along. He wasn't any good and left her with their twins and no real way to make ends meet.

With a heavy heart, Angela turned and headed back into the house because she still had laundry to do, a kitchen to clean, and she had to get some sleep so she could go job hunting in the morning.

The next morning, her mother came to watch the babies while she went into town to find work. She went to several different places – the newspaper, the dentist, the physician's clinic, looking for open secretarial positions but none of those places were hiring. Then she moved on to the grocery store, the drug store, and even the video rental store; she was turned down at every place because no one was hiring.

Dejectedly, Angela walked to the small diner at the end of the block; after the final rejection she couldn't take anymore and had to sit down for a moment. She was a young, healthy, smart woman, why wouldn't anyone hire her, she wondered to herself. She was on the verge of tears when the waitress came over to take her order.

"What can I get you?" the older woman asked in a rush.

Angela sniffled, trying not to cry because she knew she was stronger than that. "I'd just like a cup of coffee, please."

The waitress' face softened when she saw the young woman with such a troubled expression. "Are you okay, dear?"

"Not really... but I'm going to find a way to make it okay," Angela told her, her voice wavered but the tears never fell.

The waitress, her name was Esme, called out, "Hey, Carlisle, I'm taking my break now." She walked over to the counter and grabbed two cups of coffee and two pieces of cherry cobbler and returned to the booth that Angela was occupying.

"Now, dear, tell me what's going on," Esme all but commanded as she slid the cobbler across the table.

Angela told her the whole story as they sat there and ate. She was surprised at how easy it was to talk to the waitress and how much better she felt after getting it all off of her chest. Esme didn't judge her or tell her how wrong she was for loving a man that eventually left her; she knew that wasn't what Angela needed at the moment.

"Actually, we've just had a spot open for the morning shift and I think you would be perfect for the position," Esme told her as she sipped her coffee.

"Are you serious? You really want to give me a job?" Angela asked, nearly in disbelief.

"Of course, dear," Esme assured her. "We need a waitress and you need a job; looks like it will work out perfectly for both of us."

Angela jumped out of the booth and hugged Esme tightly. "Now I just need to go find someone to take care of my babies while I work," Angela told her. "Thank you so much!"

"About that," Esme stopped her with a smile. "If you would allow me, I would love to come watch your little ones while you work and then I could bring them with me when I come to take over for you after your shift."

Angela wondered just how her day had turned around so quickly and she thanked Esme profusely for all the help she was giving her. Esme told her not to worry about it one bit; it was her pleasure to help.

As it turned out, Esme had given up her morning shift for Angela, because she knew that she needed it more. After Angela left the diner to go home to her babies, Esme went into the kitchen to inform Carlisle of the new arrangement. He beamed with pride as he pulled his wife into a tight hug and kissed her on the forehead, telling her that this is exactly why he loved her so much. The love those two shared was one-of-a-kind.

When Angela got home, she filled her mother in on the whole deal that she'd worked out with Esme and then made an appointment at the local college. She had decided if she was going to make something of herself, she needed a college education.

For the next five years, Angela's life was as hectic as could be. She still had that ache in her heart whenever she heard one of Ben's songs on the radio. He had become rather famous with his band, Breaking Hearts. She would simply turn the radio off and move along with whatever she had been doing at the time. She was still working mornings at the diner; her afternoons were filled with time spent taking the kids to dance classes, soccer practices, and their other various activities and her nights were filled with school and homework.

Esme and Carlisle were great to her, they always did everything they could to help her with the kids and with work, and when Christmas and birthdays rolled around, there was always extra in her paycheck. She never knew how to repay them but they had always told her it was nothing and that they were glad to help. According to Esme, their son was never going to settle down and give them grandkids, so those kids were like their own grandchildren in a way, and they loved them so much. Angela felt so lucky to have found them and to have them as a part of Leah and Jacob's lives.

It was only at night, when she laid down to sleep, that she had any time to think about how her life was supposed to be. It wasn't supposed to be this hard or this lonely and sometimes the weight of the situation got to her, but still she never cried. She didn't have time for feeling sorry for herself.

Her friends always asked her why she didn't go out and try to find someone to move on with. She had to remind them that her life was crazy and she didn't have time to try to find someone else. Then she would ask them just how exactly was she supposed to do that when she couldn't trust anyone but herself.

One day, a few months later, she was just leaving the grocery store and when she noticed the tire on her car was flat. "Oh, just great," she groaned as she loaded the groceries in the back seat of her car.

Angela bent down to examine the tire when she heard someone clear their throat behind her.

"Do you need some help?" the person asked, obviously very male.

"Yes, actually," Angela replied as she stood up and turned around. Behind her was a very nice looking man in a business suit, with reddish hair and clear green eyes. She was confused for a second because she thought she knew everyone in town "It's flat…" she managed to get out after an embarrassing moment of staring at him, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar to her.

"I see," the man told her. "I can change it for you if you like."

"Oh, that's okay, I can figure it out; I don't want you getting your clothes all dirty because of me," she deflected but in reality she knew she could really use the help.

"It wouldn't be a problem at all; clothes are easy to wash." He flashed her a smile that had her heart skipping beats and beating in double time within seconds. "My name's Edward, by the way."

"Angela," she offered up her own and wondered where she'd heard that name before.

Angela watched as Edward changed her tire with ease. Once he was finished, he got up and brushed the loose gravel off of his pants. "All finished," he declared as he shut the trunk.

She smiled widely at him. "Thank you so much!" she said, truly grateful for the help.

"You're welcome!" he answered back and then turned to head to his car. Angela was about to grab the handle to open her car door when she felt someone behind her.

"Would you like to go get a cup of coffee with me?" Edward asked her suddenly and she startled. She was completely caught off guard by his request because she hadn't been asked out since Ben left, but she found that she felt pretty good about it and didn't see how it could hurt.

"Sure, that would be great," she answered a bit shyly. "There's this great little diner a few blocks over, do you know the place?"

Edward smiled knowingly and told her, "Yeah, I know the place."

They met back up a few minutes later at the diner and Edward held the door open for her as she walked in.

"Angela, darling," Esme greeted her enthusiastically, as she moved quickly around the counter with two plates of food. "What are you doing here? It's your day off!"

Just then, Esme noticed Edward walk through the door and she practically jumped into his arms. "Hey, Mom!" Edward chuckled as he spun Esme around and then put her down on the floor.

Esme smacked him on the shoulder and scolded him, "What are you doing here? Why didn't you call? I didn't even know you were going to be in town!"

"I'm sorry. I've actually got something I wanted to talk to you and Dad about later, but for now, I'd like to have coffee."

Angela just stood back as it all finally clicked in her head. Esme and Carlisle have a son named Edward who, as far as Angela knew, lived in Portland. They'd mentioned him before and had pictures up at their house but they were definitely not newer photos as this Edward was so much more handsome than the teenage version of himself.

Esme gave Edward a warning look which, in her book, meant don't screw around with this one, she's a good girl. Edward smiled back at his mother. "You best go say hello to your father."

He leaned over to Angela and whispered, "I'll be right back."

As he headed through the door to the kitchen, Esme turned back to Angela and giggled, "Tell me, darling, how do you know Edward?"

"We just met actually. He fixed a flat tire for me at the grocery store." Angela explained quietly as she slid into the back corner booth.

"Oh, he's such a good boy. I'll go get your coffee, dear." Esme patted Angela on the shoulder and left.

Edward walked out of the back and sat down across from Angela. "I'm sorry about that," he said, as he picked up his cup and took a drink. "I wasn't anticipating seeing them until later tonight."

Angela couldn't help but be drawn in by his gentlemanly personality and charm. The conversation flowed easily for nearly an hour, before Edward asked her the question she'd been dreading; the one that would send most eligible bachelors running for the hills.

"So, do you have kids?"

Angela nearly choked on her coffee and sighed. She could have lied to him and told him no, but she didn't have time to deal with the backlash of lying. "I have twins, a girl and a boy, who are nearly six."

Edward grinned widely. "I saw the booster seats. I love kids."

Angela melted into her seat, relief flooding through her body. "Your mom actually watches them for me in the mornings while I work; they're like a second set of grandparents."

They continued to talk a bit more before Angela got up enough courage to ask Edward the one question she'd been nervous to ask. "So, don't you live in Portland?"

"I do," he answered. "But I'm planning on moving back to Forks. I can run my company from here and maybe even open up a branch in Seattle, too. I hate being so far from my parents and that's what I was coming back to talk to them about."

Angela was relieved once again and their conversation bounced easily from one topic to the next. Time flew by and before she knew it, Angela's phone was ringing. Her mother wanted to make sure she was okay because she had been gone for so long.

Angela regretfully told Edward that she needed to get home to the kids but that she'd had such a good time talking with him. He asked her to have dinner with him that Friday night and she agreed. They said good-bye and, for the first time in over five years, Angela felt a bit carefree and legitimately happy. She only had one more semester of school left before she would graduate with her teaching degree, her kids would be starting school in the fall, and she finally began to feel like things might actually be okay.

Her mother wanted all the details when she got home and, after she left and the kids were put to bed, Esme called her and wanted to know everything. Esme was positively giddy as she listened to Angela's recap of their conversation and then proceeded to tell her more about Edward's plan. When Angela went to bed that night, the ache in her heart was a little less painful.

Over the next several months, Angela and Edward spent time together on Fridays and Saturdays for their usual date nights. She'd never brought him home to meet the kids because she wasn't ready for something that major and she refused to be one of those mothers who let men traipse in and out of her children's lives.

One night while they were on their way home from a dinner and movie in Port Angeles, the radio DJ announced a new song by Breaking Hearts titled, 'I Miss You'. As Angela listened, she immediately picked up on little things in the song that she knew, without a doubt, were references to her and the early part of their relationship. Tears began to stream down her face in the darkness.

Once Edward realized she was crying, he instantly pulled the car over to the side of the road and asked her what was wrong. She had never gone into details about her breakup with Ben or who he was in the scheme of things, but as they sat in the dark, she finally told Edward everything.

Edward put the car back in drive and made a phone call on the way back to town, but Angela wasn't paying attention to what he said. Soon they pulled up in front of Edward's house and he walked her inside. Gently, he led her over to the couch where he sat down with her on his lap and held her tightly as she finally cried all the tears that she had been holding in for six long years.

Angela felt safe and content in Edward's arms and she couldn't have stopped the tears if she'd tried. He smoothed her hair, kissed her temples, and whispered to her how it was all going to be okay. He repeated over and over how he wanted to be with her; then he promised he would always take care of her and he told her that he loved her.

Her mouth gaped open as she heard those words escape his mouth and finally the tears turned from ones of heart break to tears of happiness. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, whispering that she loved him, too. She could have fought the feelings that were building up inside of her, but she didn't have time to waste and she found that she didn't want to.

Edward carried her up to his room and made love to her for the first time, slow and gentle. They fell asleep in a tangle of arms and legs and for the first time, Angela didn't feel any sort of ache in her chest.

The next day, Angela felt that it was finally safe to introduce Edward to her kids. He was a natural with them and it made her smile as she watched him interact with them. Leah and Jacob adored him had been wrestling with him all morning. They had wanted to show him everything from dance and soccer trophies, to drawings and favorite toys, and Edward 'ooohed' and 'ahhhhed' and was genuinely interested in all the things that were important to her kids.

Angela had been in the kitchen finishing up the lunch dishes, while shrieks of laughter and bouts of giggles, kept erupting from the next room over. It just added to the sense of safety she felt with Edward. Pretty soon it got quiet in the living room and she walked in to find Edward asleep on the couch with Leah on one side and Jacob on the other. As she stood in the doorway watching them sleep, she felt as if another piece of the puzzle had finally snapped into place.

It was a month later, when Edward asked Angela and the kids to move in with him. Angela didn't have any problem leaving her house behind and moving into Edward's. He had a room for each of the kids, and they didn't have to share anymore, which made them happier than she'd seen them in a long time. Esme and Angela had taken them shopping to pick out new stuff for their rooms and they were allowed to decorate them however they wanted. Leah's room was pinks and purples and very artsy, while Jacob had sports posters and memorabilia all over. It was also important to Angela for the kids to have a stable father figure in their lives and Edward fit that category perfectly.

She also had no reservations about finally being able to be with him every night, instead of only on the weekends, and the new sleeping arrangements, suited her just fine. She loved being able to fall asleep in his arms every night.

Of course, there were things that they all had to get used to and everything wasn't just smooth sailing. Angela had to get used to living with an adult male again and discussing things with someone else that she normally would have just done without question, and Edward had to adjust to three extra people in his home. They all wanted it to work, so when problems would arise, they would sit down and discuss the best way to make it work or they would compromise with each other.

Six months after they moved in together, Edward planned a family barbeque. Everyone was there — the kids, Angela's mom, and Esme and Carlisle. It was shortly after everyone had finished eating, and were sitting around talking, that Edward disappeared into the house and then reappeared again. He positioned Angela in front of everyone and got down on one knee. He pulled a ring out of his pocket and told her that she was everything he'd ever wanted in a woman, and that he loved her kids as if they were his own. Then, he asked her to marry him, and make him the luckiest man in the world.

With eyes full of tears, she said yes, and he slipped the ring onto her finger. Both mothers joined Angela and were crying too, while Carlisle clapped his son on the back and told him how proud he was of the man he'd grown up to be, and that he was glad the Angela was going to officially be a part of the family.

They got married a few months later. They both realized that they didn't want to wait any longer to finally, legally, belong to each other.

The ceremony was a simple one, held in the back yard with their families and a few friends. The kids stood up beside Angela and Edward as they said their vows and promised to love each other, through the good times and the bad. That was the day that Leah and Jacob called Edward, 'Daddy', for the first time, and their hearts swelled as things fell so perfectly into place.

It wasn't long after the wedding, that they discovered there was going to be an addition to their little family, and everyone was beyond thrilled for them. Edward's dreams were being fulfilled daily and he truly felt like he was the luckiest man in the world, just like he'd asked Angela to make him, on the day he asked her to be his wife.

It had taken a long time for Angela to get over what Ben had done to her and the kids, but in the long run, she realized that he had been right all along. He was not what she needed and his leaving was the best thing that he could have done for her. She found her everything that day in the parking lot of the grocery store, and she knew that she was finally going to have her happily ever after.


End file.
